Military Professors Oppose Army Secretary Nominee

Today, 21 current and former faculty members at service academies, war colleges, and other military universities released a letter warning that the appointment of Mark Green as Army Secretary would constitute a “serious threat” to the military’s core values and ability to draw on the best talent to accomplish critical military missions.

“As this statement from military professors shows, the growing consensus is that Mark Green’s nomination as Army Secretary must be stopped,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack in response to the statement. “His vicious attacks on the LGBT community and other minorities are beyond the pale and are contrary to the military’s core values. We must stand up for all of our men and women in uniform, including those Green has singled out with vile insults.”

Here’s the full statement from the military professors released by the Palm Center:

“As current and former Faculty Members at Service Academies, War Colleges and other Military Universities, we are alarmed by Army Secretary nominee Mark Green’s history of extreme statements and actions, and by the prospect of his becoming the next Secretary of the Army.

His repeated attacks against the LGBT community include (1) Sponsoring ‘license to discriminate’ legislation including a bill to allow mental health practitioners to refuse to treat LGBT patients; (2) Claiming that ‘transgender is a disease,’ a belief that is contrary to global medical consensus; (3) Urging state officials to deny same-sex couples marriage licenses, in clear violation of the U.S. Supreme Court; and (4) Supporting a bill that would effectively bar transgender high school and college students from using public bathrooms.

Beyond the LGBT community, he has insulted and disrespected Latinos, women, Muslims, and members of the Armed Forces including (5) Speculating that a rise in Latinos registering to vote in Tennessee is because they are ‘being bussed here probably’; (6) Acknowledging that as a physician, he ​has ​refused​ to prescribe birth control to women; (7) Agreeing that we must ‘take a stand on the indoctrination of Islam in our public schools’; (8) Claiming that the U.S. military’s General Officers are “afraid of their shadow”; and (9) Declining to divest from a corporation whose owner defrauded TRICARE, the military health care program for service members, retirees and their families.

Mark Green would undermine good order and discipline by fostering dissension within the ranks and sowing confusion about what the military stands for. All who wear the uniform and risk their lives to defend our freedom deserve the respect and dignity they have earned, including LGBT members, Latinos, women and religious minorities, but Green has a history of creating exceptions for those who don’t want to treat others equally and respectfully. We cannot afford leaders whose priorities are inconsistent with military values. Mark Green is a serious threat to what makes our military great.

* The views expressed in this statement by current and former faculty at U.S. Government Agencies are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their respective university, their Service, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.”

AMPA Leadership

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA) is the nation’s premier resource and support network for the partners and spouses of LGBT troops and veterans. As a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)3 organization, AMPA is directed and led by an all-volunteer team of military spouses. Learn more about AMPA's leadership team.